Samsung may bring back the Galaxy S9-era camera feature that allowed variable aperture, applying it to future devices. Historically, Samsung has a knack for reintroducing promising ideas only to phase them out later. The dual-aperture design debuted with the Galaxy S9 lineup in 2018 and was discontinued with the Galaxy S20 just two years afterward.
A Chinese tipster, Digital Chat Station (DCS), reports that Samsung is actively testing a variable aperture once again for upcoming phones, possibly in anticipation that rivals like the iPhone will offer a similar capability.
Variable aperture is an adjustable lens opening that regulates the amount of light reaching the sensor. In bright conditions, the opening can narrow to prevent overexposure; in low-light scenarios, it can widen to maximize light intake. The practical effects include:
- Narrow aperture: reduced light and greater depth of field, yielding sharper background focus.
- Wide aperture: more light and shallower depth of field, producing more pronounced subject separation.
This type of lens is common in professional DSLR and mirrorless cameras, and some high-end Android brands have begun adopting it in recent years. There are rumors that future iPhones could feature variable aperture optics, which likely motivates Samsung to reconsider the feature for its flagship Galaxy devices.
If Samsung proceeds, expect the technology to appear first in the Galaxy S27 lineup, with speculation that the S27 Ultra would gain the feature. By contrast, leaks so far suggest the Galaxy S26 family may not include it.
Asif Iqbal Shaik — Senior Editor at SamMobile
